Samantha Martineau

Perfessor Cripps

English 110 I

11 September 2018

They Say, I Say

 

  1. Engaging other people’s views is important in academic writing because it can make your point stronger and more understandable. In the book “They Say, I Say” it says that “The answer is that if you don’t identify the “they say” you’re responding to, your own argument probably won’t have a point.” so including the othersides view can help enhance your paper and help readers understand the main point. Also while you are writing placing “they say” in the text and braking down their views can remind the readers what you are responding to.
  2. Some writers believe that writers should start with “what others” say, but authors also know that academic writing should have an argument. In high school I would start my papers by talking about my point and the things that I was going to back it up with, I never started a paper talking about the other sides views. But the points that the authors of “They Say, I Say” Cathy Birkenstein and Gerald Graff say do seem to have a good backing behind them. On page 21 it states that “you need to present that argument as part of some larger conversation” and with every conversation you will have people that oppose you and by discussing their view it at the beginning of the reading it can draw your reader in and possibly appeal to a larger group.
  3. In chapter 3 of “They Say, I Say” it states that “To adequately frame a quotation, you need to insert it into what we like to call a “quotation sandwich,” with the statement introducing it serving as the top slice of bread and the explanation following it serving as the bottom slice.” this quote explains that with every quote that you use in your writing you need to introduce it and then back it up and explain the quote and how it connects with your writing. With my high school I would always explain the quote after to make sure the reader understands its relevance in the text and how it backs up my statement.